A Lebanese-Czech beer revolution

Emil Strunc (pronounced Schtrunz) and his wife Olga live near Jounieh, east of Beirut, where they brew 24,000 bottles of Schtrunz beer each year in a 25m2 space that Emil, who is half Czech, calls a “nano-brewery”. Emil hopes to eventually take his production to roughly 75,000 bottles.

Emil and Olga Strunc

On Friday, at Tawlet, I had the chance to taste various interpretations of the eight styles of beer he brews: Kölsch, Hefe Weissen, Dunkel Weiss, Witbier, Munich Amber, Vienna Amber, Black IPA and the peerless Biere de Garde.

The delicious Vienna Amber

Tawlet intends to stock the beer and plans to hold an ‘event’ soon. Watch this space.

In the meantime, one has to ask the question: Has Mazen Hajjar, founder of 961 and LB, started a beer revolution in Lebanon?